Protecting Him from the Elements
2 weeks after giving birth to my youngest son, we moved to the shores of the Kent coast. 17 months later, I’m still asking myself why I thought the timing was a good idea; it was a two and a half-hour drive, and the M25 is notorious for bad traffic. Not only is moving house one of the top 20 stressors in life, my post-natal body still wasn’t functioning properly yet, and my two-week-old human despised the car seat and any motion. Still, my determined little soul was clinched to the idea of getting to our new home. What my determined little soul wasn’t prepared for was breaking down on said notorious M25.
Sat on a grassy motorway verge, our packed car refusing to move, cold and anxious under a dark grey sky, newborn in my arms, I did everything in my power to protect him from the elements. My husband, a short distance away, raised his voice on the phone. In part, so the emergency services could hear him over roaring vehicles that blurred past, the other part annoyance as the operator advised us we weren’t considered a priority, so they wouldn’t rescue us for a while. Nightfall was drawing near, and we had this precious new human with us.
The Wait
Eventually, rescue came. Thank the Lord! BUT I was desperately disappointed that we weren’t taken directly to our destination, but instead re-routed to a nearby service station where we sat inside McDonald’s waiting for auto repairs to show up. The car mechanic came and failed. So we sat. We waited. We didn’t know what was next or when we’d arrive at our destination. By then, we were just glad to be waiting indoors. Re-routed, once again, we arrived at our destination 9 hours after our journey started. What an unexpected palaver.
The joyous spark of a star ushered the wise men to worshipfully meet the Saviour of the world. But following one wicked man’s intention and God’s divine intervention, they were mercifully warned and re-routed to go home on a different route than originally planned. Herod was so afraid that the powerful status quo of his current life would be interrupted by the arrival of this appointed and anointed child that he didn’t stop to think that the Messiah was the key to eternal life. The redeeming Saviour had arrived, but instead of focusing on an eternally secure place in heaven, Herod became more insecure about his temporary position on Earth.
Inconsolable
Mary and Joseph fled their house in the middle of the night with their child. The core wickedness of Herod was about to be unleashed upon the land; God wanted them out of there. I can only imagine there were no words to comfort any parent during what transpired next. No words. No way to console. From celebration to sorrow in the blink of an eye. From rest to flight in the middle of the night.
I sit and wonder what Mary had planned before the sudden uprising. Was she comfortable and settling in her home, enjoying hosting the shepherds and then the wise men? Or was she always packed, ready and waiting for God’s instruction. Regardless, with a responsive and obedient heart, Joseph and Mary never settled on their own plans but only rested in the promises of God. Amid a fear-filled season for many, they answered the call. The call to get moving, the call to be lead. The call to go in a specific direction.
It’s not always easy to take the twists and turns that come with the life. The unexpected often challenges our faith. In all of our stories, both when they are full of happiness and drenched with heartache, God is ever faithful. No matter where this journey takes us, the sweet parts where we feel good and giddy, or the more brutal seasons when we experience pain and heartache, we can always be sure that we don’t journey alone, for God is always with us. When we don’t know what is around the next corner, or when we will arrive at what we find humanly comfortable, what we do know is that our God watches over us, and he watches out for us. The great I AM. Present. Accessible. Our guide.
Jehovah Ro'i - He is your Shepherd.
When the smooth journey we plan for ourselves is not what we’re experiencing, and the unexpected comes with new directions, we may not feel in control, but we can find joy and the growth of our faith when we can trust that God is always in control.
When the path is unclear, He is a lamp to our feet.
When we feel lost, He gives us direction.
When we are unsure, He is our solid Hope.
When we get weak, He is our strength.
When the journey gets shakey and the road gets rough, He is our firm foundation and solid rock.
Jesus is for all. Whether you were as close as is father and mother or strangers from very far away lands, an encounter with Jesus alters the path of your life forever. Stepping into His presence with a worshipful heart will undoubtedly lead to a relationship of intimacy that God wants to direct you on. How will you respond when you have plans, and God says, “It’s time to re-route”? Do you always have to stick to what you had planned, or will you allow God to be your eternal compass?
Sometimes we have to be willing to be re-routed to get to where we need to go. Mary and Joseph show us that if we act responsively and obediently to God’s words, it can change the direction of our lives eternally. After meeting Jesus and displaying a moment of true worship and adoration, the wise men taught me this: An encounter with Jesus Christ will change your life forever. You will never go back the same way you came.
It’s time to get re-routed.
Beautiful reminder and very encouraging! He is always with us! 🕊
I’m so glad we can follow Jesus when he reroutes us! He’s the best guide there is because HE is gentle.
What an experience that you’d never sign up for! Our oldest hated car rides as well–made it miserable to go anywhere during his newborn days.
There is so much powerful truth packed into this post! I was struck by the words, “He is our solid hope.” He sure is! Thanks for this fresh inspiration today! It blessed me deeply!
I can definitely relate to this! I’ve also always wondered how Mary handled so many situations. Thank you for this beautiful post … ❤️
Thanks for the encouragement to remember to follow God’s eternal compass! Beautiful words.
Very powerful! I can really relate to this. Once I developed a relationship with Jesus my life changed forever. If He did it for me He can do it for anyone.
Beautiful encouragement!